sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi aventis group, has entered into an agreement with Acambis plc to license a single dose vaccine against Japanese Encephalitis (JE), ChimeriVax-JE, to help improve public health in endemic countries of Asia Pacific, including Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, and parts of Australia.

Approximately 30,000 to 50,000 people suffer from JE annually, mainly in Asia. During a recent epidemic in northern India and Nepal, Japanese encephalitis killed more than 1,000 people, most of them children.

"Sanofi pasteur will further contribute to the fight against a devastating disease by bringing an innovative JE vaccine to endemic countries. We believe a single dose vaccine will hold significant advantages for use in routine immunization programs in a region where several billion people live," said Dave Williams, CEO of sanofi pasteur. Acambis has published positive data from its pivotal phase 3-safety trial in October 2006.

Clinical results show that ChimeriVax-JE vaccine requires only one dose for adequate protection against Japanese encephalitis versus two to three doses required with current JE vaccines.

"ChimeriVax-JE has the potential to transform the use of JE vaccines. sanofi pasteur is a world leader in vaccines and, in our view, the best partner for ChimeriVax-JE. We are looking forward to working with sanofi pasteur to ensure our vaccine reaches those who need it," said Gordon Cameron, CEO of Acambis.

Acambis has established a large-scale manufacturing process at its facility in Canton, MA, US, from which it will supply sanofi pasteur with bulk vaccine. Under the agreement, Acambis has granted sanofi pasteur marketing, distribution and certain manufacturing rights to ChimeriVax-JE worldwide excluding India and the Indian subcontinent, and the US for which sanofi pasteur has an option. Sanofi pasteur plans to introduce the new vaccine throughout the Asia Pacific region with particular focus on the large endemic countries like Thailand and China. Acambis will receive upfront and milestone payments totalling up to €30 million following marketing authorization of ChimeriVax-JE in key endemic countries and in the European Union.

Japanese encephalitis is a disease caused by a flavivirus that affects the membranes around the brain. Most JE virus infections are mild (fever and headache) or without apparent symptoms, but approximately 1 in 200 infections results in severe disease characterized by rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic Paralysis and death.